-??? POV-
I looked behind me, but there was no sign of the demon. Ahead, the town I was sprinting through blurred past in streaks of color. 'Why?!' It was all I could think. 'Why is it after us?!' There were twenty three of us Devils here in this quiet part of Fukushima, taking our pleasure from the locals, until that creature appeared and tore two Devils apart right before my eyes.
"Rip and tear!" was all it said before acting on those words.
I had to use my own brother as a shield when the demon kicked a sword my way. 'Just you wait.' I thought, finally coming to a stop near an abandoned shrine. Resting my hands on my knees I caught my breath. Teleporting back to the underworld wasn't an option, I'd been banned by the Four Satans, and if they discovered I'd returned, I'd be executed. 'If they fin—'
"Finally arrived, huh?"
I spun around, looking up to the Komainu statue's head. The demon stood there, casually resting a silver-bladed katana on his shoulder. I took in his appearance, committing it to memory in case I escaped. Black hair. Purple eyes that held a look of absolute boredom as he regarded me. He was tall and muscular; his black shirt clung tightly to his frame, emphasizing his broad shoulders and abs. His hakama pants were loose but didn't hide his powerful build. My gaze dropped lower and froze on what he held in his other hand.
"Y-you bastard!" I screamed, a mix of fear and fury bubbling up as I saw my brother's severed head dangling from his grasp.
The demon raised an eyebrow, amused by my reaction. He tossed the head up, catching it effortlessly as he spoke with a tone so disinterested it made my skin crawl. "Calling me a bastard?" He snorted and jumped down from the statue, forcing me to back away. 'Almost… just a bit more magic, and I'll get out of here.'
"I'm not the one who used his twin brother as a shield." he said, tossing the head at me. Reflexively, I reached out to catch it.
'W-why? Why is the world upside down?'
"That makes twenty three." he said, walking away from my fallen body.
'Oh. I'm d—'
-Nurarihyon POV-
I sighed contentedly, feeling the young woman's oiled hands work into my back. "Right there~" I practically purred. 'This is the life, nothing could ruin it.'
Fate however, disagreed. Barely five seconds passed before I heard light footsteps and saw Maragi staring down at me in disgust.
"Maragi-chan~ What brings you here?" I teased, inwardly delighting as her eye twitched at the honorific. 'Doesn't matter how old you or I get, I'll always call you that.'
She sighed, taking a seat nearby. "High-Class Devils were killed again. Twenty three dismembered bodies were found in Hiroshima's red-light district."
I groaned, waving a spell to send the young woman out and into another part of her own home. 'If only he weren't so messy.'
As I sat up and pulled my kimono back on, Maragi explained. "Serafall Leviathan is demanding that we find this 'Devil Killer.'"
Snorting, I tied my kimono and joined her at the table. "Maragi-chan, it's been three years since this 'killer' showed up and he's not just targeting Devils, he's taken down troublesome Youkai and Fallen Angels… This has been to our benefit really."
She frowned but gave a reluctant sigh. "True. But we still don't know what's driving him, and his growing body count doesn't sit right with the other factions or me."
I took a sip of tea. 'Why couldn't I just have a peaceful day?'
'Damn brat, Hope you're suffering wherever you are.'
-Ryou POV-
"Fuck!"
I smirked at the outburst from a few other people around the stadium. 'Seems like luck's on my side.' Rising from my seat, I cracked my neck, drawing a few glances from nearby patrons before they turned back to their own business. Heading toward the exit to grab a bite to eat, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and answered as I walked. "Hello?"
A familiar voice, soft and warm greeted me. "Ryou, how are you doing?"
Hearing Retsu's voice brought a smile to my face. "I'm better now that I've heard your voice." I nodded to someone passing by, then heard an excited, high-pitched voice suddenly yell in my ear.
"Papa!"
Hearing Eri's voice made me pause for a second before I continued searching for a place to eat. "How's my little princess doing? You're behaving for your mother, right?"
Eri giggled, and I could feel a few people's eyes on me as I walked. 'Wonder who's it is this time.'
"Of course Papa, I'm always good! Guess what though?!"
I hummed in response, moving to a quieter area.
"Mama wouldn't let me practice with a sword!"
I held back a chuckle and faked a gasp. "What?! Why not?"
I could hear Retsu's soft laughter in the background as Eri groaned. "She says it's dangerous for me! But you and Mama use swords when you train, and she doesn't care!"
"Eri, You're still young, and your papa and I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Retsu added gently.
I was about to respond when Eri's voice grew softer. "Papa, when are you coming home?"
My steps slowed as I headed toward an abandoned warehouse, feeling the weight of her words. I hadn't seen Eri or Retsu in two years, and it sounded like Eri was struggling with my absence. Hoping to soothe her, I replied in a calm tone. "Eri?"
A small sniffle answered me.
"I promise I'll be home before your birthday. Just got three more jobs to do, okay?"
"Really? You promise?"
"Pinky promise, I'll even secretly train you with swords." I assured her.
A quiet giggle came through the phone. "Pinky promise. Hey Papa?"
I hummed in response, sensing the call would end soon.
"See you soon, Papa."
With that, the line went silent. I turned around at the sound of a loud voice. "Holy fuck! I didn't think a guy like you had a family!"
I met the speaker's eyes and tilted my head slightly. It was Freed Sellzen. 'Well, that's someone I didn't think I'd run into.'
He rambled on but I tuned him out, taking a step that brought me right in front of him. Freed stumbled back landing on the floor in shock. "Don't do that, fucker!"
I reached down, grabbing him by the head and kneeling to his level. "This is going to hurt, A lot." Channeling a controlled surge of bloodlust through my hand, I directed it into Freed's skull. Instantly he started screaming, clawing at my arm, until his head finally burst.
'Gross… I think some got in my mouth.'
Standing up, I wiped the remains of Freed from my face and walked out of the warehouse, ignoring the hidden eyes looking on in shock.
~Scene Change~
Walking with a hotdog in my hand, I made my way to my next assignment from that old geezer, Nurarihyon. Taking a bite, I pondered a few things. 'Can't believe three years have passed.' I thought with a sighing, I threw the stick into a bush and kept walking, ignoring the stink eyes some people gave me for littering. Lost in thought, I reflected on what the old geezer had asked of me for payment. Namely, assassination and clearing out.
Assassinations were somewhat easy, as I had learned to coat my body in cursed magic that, apart from scent blocked most aura or signature I had. This was something I had attained two years ago after a particularly suicidal mission that included a Dragon. The other type of assignments I received were clearing out, which mainly involved wiping out a group in a certain area. I snorted at the nickname some of the supernatural beings in Japan had given me. ''Oni no Koe'' or 'Demon's Voice' how corny'. I thought.
Sighing, I looked ahead and saw a building where I would be staying. 'Only three more to go.' I thought as I entered, immediately hit by the smell of cigarettes, alcohol, and bodily fluids. I walked through without changing my expression, passing a woman making love to a man I assumed was the owner of the hotel.
"Room for three nights." I said, placing some money on the counter. The man who was currently engaged in the act of love, looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "That's not enough for three nights, kid."
I raised an eyebrow in return and heard the faint sound of metal clinking and a hint of gunpowder. Snorting to myself, I lifted my hand and placed it on my own firearm that was tucked in my pants, now noticed by the man. "So, how much is it for three nights?" I asked, mixing a bit of Bloodlust into my words. This caused him to freeze and gesture for someone behind me to drop their gun. He took the money, gave me a smile, and opened his arms.
"Welcome to my humble place! Want a woman to warm your bed for you?" He gestured to the woman currently under him. I grabbed the keys another person had placed in front of me and walked away, ignoring his words and remarks. 'Disgusting.' I thought as I opened the door to my room.
There was mold on most of the walls and ceiling. Walking to the bed, I lifted it and saw more mold and some maggots crawling underneath. "Charming" I muttered, resting the bed back down. I glanced over to another part of the room and began spreading out my Reiatsu to check for anything unusual. 'Found it.' I thought.
I walked to a seemingly normal moldy wall, placed my hand on it, and stopped channeling Reiatsu. I activated cursed magic, causing the wall to react and peel away its mold and paint, revealing a few pieces of paper. One had a photo of a black haired man with long pointed ears and red eyes, wearing a wide grin on his face. 'Looks familiar.' I thought, finding out why another note held the person's information.
[Name: Kokabiel. Age: Over one thousand. Rank: Cadre. Mission: Taken in alive.]
I whistled as I took in the information, along with who the sponsor was. 'This is a surprise.' I took my hand off the wall and started using cursed magic to hide my aura. Making my way to the smudged glass window I opened it, climbed out onto the roof, took in the sights, and headed off in a random direction through the city I was in.
~Scene Change~
'Wonder why Kokabiel is in Hokkaido?' I thought, sighing as I took in the sights while leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Hokkaido was where I'd been assigned to locate him, as it was reportedly his last known location. 'Hope he shows his elf mug soon. I want to retire already and see Eri and Retsu.' I shook my head, pushing thoughts of family aside. Now wasn't the time. 'Focus and find.'
While I couldn't use cursed magic and Reiatsu simultaneously, nor could I keep my aura hidden while actively using cursed magic, I'd found a workaround. My naturally enhanced senses. It turned out they were abnormally sharp, making them useful for tracking. I focused on the faintest shifts in sound and scent in the air. Apart from a few youkai patrolling Hokkaido, nothing seemed out of place. 'Where are you, elf?' I calmed myself, knowing that rushing would only lead to mistakes.
Then, my ears twitched. I caught the faintest hum of a magic circle activating. Moving quickly but keeping my body concealed, I prepared Muramasa in my thoughts in case this mission turned into a fight. Tracking the sound and now the scent of multiple people I reached a familiar spot, the forbidden forest where I had stolen Honjo Masamune a few years back. I scaled a tree about eighty feet away from the scene, allowing me to overlook the activity below.
'Is that… Cao Cao?' I recognized the spear he wielded as the True Longinus. 'What is he doing here?'
Kokabiel's voice carried through the trees. "What do you mean you won't help?! After all the information I've given you!" He looked ready to fight, but Cao Cao moved with a speed that surprised even me. 'He's faster.' In an instant Cao Cao stood in front of Kokabiel, the spear poised at his throat.
"I never said we wouldn't help you." Cao Cao said calmly, his spear still leveled at Kokabiel's neck. I could smell the sweat forming on Kokabiel as the threat sank in. Then with a casual smile Cao Cao pulled the spear away and held out a small box, pressing it into Kokabiel's hand. "This is our last gift. It will give you the power to realize your dreams, friend." He waved and vanished from sight.
I watched as Kokabiel glared at the spot where Cao Cao had been, releasing a burst of murderous intent that rippled through the forest, upturning the surrounding area. "That damned human! I'll show you!"
'Seems like I won't be able to handle this with stealth.' I thought with a sigh.